Four bodies recovered after group including top mountaineer Nirmal Purja missing in avalanche
Search Continues for Mountaineer Nirmal Purja and Nine Others Following Pakistan Avalanche
Healfromzero.com – Rescue operations have been launched across the Karakoram mountain range after an avalanche trapped a group of ten climbers, among them globally celebrated mountaineer Nirmal Purja. The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed that emergency personnel on foot and aboard helicopters are actively searching for the missing individuals. Authorities believe the team was positioned on Broad Peak, which rises to 8,047 meters, when the slide occurred approximately at noon on Thursday.
Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the Alpine Club, reported that ground teams have so far recovered four bodies from the scene. These remains have yet to be formally identified. The missing group comprised climbers from several nations: Purja, who is 43 years old, American climber Mallory Geis, and additional mountaineers hailing from Oman, Pakistan, and Nepal. CNN has contacted the United States State Department for further updates. To date, no word has been received from any member of the expedition since the incident.
Current Conditions and GPS Updates
Ayaz Ahmed Shigri, the Alpine Club’s general secretary, noted that GPS signals are currently being detected from four of the missing climbers. Weather conditions improved on Friday morning and are forecast to remain favorable through the weekend, providing a window for continued search efforts.
Purja, widely recognized by his nickname “Nims,” achieved international fame in 2019 when he summited all fourteen of the world’s peaks exceeding 8,000 meters in just over six months. This remarkable accomplishment was featured in the popular Netflix documentary titled “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.” Before dedicating himself fully to mountaineering, Purja served sixteen years in the British army, first with the Brigade of Gurkhas and subsequently with the Special Boat Service, a prestigious unit within the UK’s Royal Navy.
A Life Dedicated to the Mountains
His journey into high-altitude climbing commenced in 2012 when he trekked to Everest Base Camp. That experience ignited what his foundation, Nimsdai, describes as a profound passion and ambition for mountain exploration. The Nimsdai organization, which assists mountain communities throughout Nepal, released a statement to CNN confirming that they are communicating with relevant authorities and prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of all involved parties.
In a 2019 interview with CNN, Purja revealed that he quickly became “addicted” to the sport. His contributions to both military service and mountaineering earned him appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2018. He departed on his historic ascent of the fourteen highest peaks in April 2019, completing the challenge 189 days later in October. This achievement shattered the previous record held by South Korean climber Kim Chang-ho, established in 2013, by more than seven years.
“Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down,” he wrote on his X account. “I take zero mountains for granted. Not one. The moment my foot leaves basecamp, it’s 100%. Always has been. Always will be.”
Historical Context and Future Plans
Purja’s expeditions have frequently involved courageous rescue missions, often risking his own life. He characterized his 2019 achievement as an “extremely, horrendously good experience,” even though his oxygen supply was stolen during his ascent of Lhotse, the fourth-highest mountain on Earth. The speed record for summiting all fourteen peaks was surpassed once more in 2023 by Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and Nepali mountaineer Tenjin Sherpa, who completed the circuit in three months and one day.
During his 2019 Everest summit, Purja captured a photograph depicting a “traffic jam” on the mountain’s upper slopes. The image generated significant public reaction and prompted the Nepalese government to develop revised climbing regulations. In 2024, Purja also became the quickest individual to reach the summit of all fourteen peaks without using supplementary oxygen. Navigating the “death zone”—altitudes above approximately 8,000 meters where oxygen levels prove insufficient for human survival—presents considerable challenges for any climber attempting even a single “8,000er,” let alone all fourteen.
Broad Peak ranks as the twelfth-tallest mountain globally and is generally regarded as somewhat less technically demanding than neighboring K2, though it remains susceptible to severe and unpredictable weather patterns. Tragedy struck the mountain in 2013 when three Iranian climbers perished during their descent. Pakistan’s most devastating modern mountaineering catastrophe occurred in 2008, when an avalanche claimed eleven lives on K2.
Following his ascent of Broad Peak, Purja intended to tackle Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest peak situated in the Himalayas. Had he succeeded, he would have become the first person in history to climb all fourteen “8,000ers” on two separate occasions. CNN’s Sophia Saifi, reporting from Islamabad, contributed to this coverage.
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